Participation

Participation A to Z: community engagement

August 29, 2024 by Digital Engagement Team No Comments | Category A-Z, Lived experience, Planning for participation, Training & Skills

Participation can feel overwhelming with the number of things to consider from the planning and delivery stages to the analysis and evaluation of the project. However, since 2005 the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) has been setting the bar high and supporting practitioners in conducting well thought out community engagement activities with the National Standards for Community Engagement. They are such an impactful resource to have that we’ve dedicated our C in the A-Z to Community engagement.

Read below to find out more about the resources available as well as learn about the National Standards in practice and how they have helped the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s to establish, evaluate, and change their approach with their Experts by Experience.

C is for community engagement

“Community engagement is a way to build and sustain relationships between public services and community groups – helping them both to understand and take action on the needs or issues that communities experience.” – Scottish Community Development Centre

The National Standards for Community Engagement are good-practice principles designed to improve and guide the process of community engagement.

There are 7 Standards:

inclusion: we will identify and involve the people and organisations that are affected by the focus of the engagement

support: we will identify and overcome any barriers to participation

planning: there is a clear purpose for the engagement, which is based on a shared understanding of community needs and ambitions

working together: we will work effectively together to achieve the aims of the engagement

methods: we will use methods of engagement that are fit for purpose

communication: we will communicate clearly and regularly with the people, organisations and communities affected by the engagement

impact: we will assess the impact of the engagement and use what we have learned to improve our future community engagement

Download the National Standard for Community Engagement toolkit

The national standards in action: reflections from Orlaith Mcaree on the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s Experts by Experience Panel

Before my work with the secretariat to the Poverty and Inequality Commission, I had been involved in community development work for about 10 years and had engaged with the SCDC which developed the National Standards for Community Engagement. The standards are well known in the third sector and it was great to see them mentioned in the guidance developed for the Commission about involving Experts by Experience. The Commission used this guidance and the standards when developing the principles and approach for its Experts by Experience Panel. When we say ‘experts by experience’ we mean people who have current or very recent lived experience of poverty.

When starting with the Commission and the Panel it was really useful for me to have these standards and all the indicators in one place. They’re great in that they cover both the practical, day-to-day elements of community engagement as well as some of the more strategic ones. The standards are inextricably linked but there are three standards – inclusion, support and impact – that stand out when thinking about the Commission’s work with experts by experience.

In terms of inclusion, the standards recommend that ‘people and groups who are affected by the focus of the engagement are involved at the earliest opportunity’. The development of our first Panel was shaped by guidance from people with lived experience of poverty. With the second iteration of our Experts by Experience Panel we were keen for Panel members to be more involved in shaping both the process and approach within the Panel but also broader strategy and planning in the Commission.

The inclusion standard also highlights the importance of engaging people with protected characteristics and people experiencing social and / or economic disadvantage, and to ensure minority and opposing views are valued during the process; both of these are key to the Commission’s approach with the Panel.

The support standard has been really important when designing processes but also for the day-to-day work with the Panel and individual Panel members. We gather details of access requirements of Panel members, and these will be reviewed and updated as the current process evolves. With both Panels, we focused on removing barriers and making sure activities and processes have been as accessible as possible to all involved. As well as access requirements we also respond to people’s learning and engagement preferences, and provide remuneration and expenses to support people to participate. When thinking about community engagement of the kind we do, little else will work if there isn’t a focus on support.

The impact standard helps ensure that, as practitioners, we’re not only working to improve current processes, but future ones too. For the first iteration of our experts by experience Panel, we assessed impact with Panel members, Commissioners, SG Officials and the then Cabinet Secretary Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government. This assessment enabled us to adapt and change our processes and approach at the time but much of the learning, as outlined in our Learning Report, will likely have a greater impact on our approach with our current Panel. Our evaluation of impact of the first Panel has absolutely changed how we are doing things this time around; we are devoting more time in the early stages to capacity-building with Panel members, embedding and committing to more joint and integrated work between Panel members and Commissioners, and increasing Panel member involvement in agenda-setting within the Commission.

If people are developing an approach to engaging with communities, and they haven’t heard of the standards, they’re a great place to start.

Further tools for Community Engagement:

VOiCE software: VOiCE is planning and recording software that assists individuals, organisations and partnerships to design and deliver effective community engagement

Engagement blog: SCDC’s Paul Nelis looks back on the development of the National Standards, and what may be next

Case studies: examples of community engagement in practice from public sector organisations in Scotland

Participation Framework: This Framework provides a guide to good practice in participation work across Scottish Government. It provides information about participatory methods and when to use them, the development of an effective participation strategy, and signposts to further resources

Digital Participation Platforms Guide: This guide will help you explore different options for digital engagement tools and provide a ranking of the features, pricing and usability

COSLA guidance: The guidance is designed to support NHS Boards, Integration Joint Boards and Local Authorities to deliver their existing statutory duties for engagement and public involvement

Place and community engagement: Our Place has some useful resources and information related our place and community engagement

Training: Community engagement de-mystified: This introductory training explores the principles, standards, processes and methods that underpin good practice in community engagement

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Updates and insights into participation and engagement practices across Scottish Government and guest blogs from participation practitioners across Scotland’s public sector, third sector and civic society.

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